Market Watch

Paint Color Forecast and New Paint Products

What easier way to create or refresh the ambiance of a design project than with paint?
Paint color is design’s connecting element, at once providing a backdrop and leading the way in any setting.

While certain hues are classic, go-to colors, there are always trends in the spectrum that signal the zeitgeist. Here are some of the newest paint color trends from major paint companies represented in the West, as well as some new paint products that are sure to become design industry favorites.

In Dunn-Edwards’ “Color ’10” forecast, color marketing manager Sara McLean predicts that innovation, globalism and social movements will tint the modern design palette, with patterns playing a key element, giving stability and reassurance in fast-moving times.

Dunn-Edwards has created thematic looks that figure prominently in new color trends, including such groupings as “Indulgent Retreat,” “Avatar” and “Simply Stated.”

The Indulgent Retreat trend emphasizes eco-luxury, clean lines, open spaces and natural materials that make use of nostalgic, muted palettes. Look for materials such as travertine, moss, velvet and mirrors, with colors bearing names such as Organic Matter and Mermaid’s Cove.

Avatar pays homage to youth, social networking and alternate identities via playful and sometimes rebellious images. Influenced by anime and urban culture, this trend is all about contrast and unexpected color combinations, such as rich browns and neon hues, light neutrals and deep blues, with Dunn-Edwards paint names such as White Heat and Taffy Pink.

In Simply Stated, neutral tones reflect a push-back against anxious times. Creamy and tinted organic hues set the stage for parchment, cardboard and papery colors. Look for Dunn-Edwards paint names such as Bamboo Screen and Whole Wheat.

In specific colors, Dunn-Edwards notes cleaner and more vibrant reds, a renewed interest in orange, yellows that are acidic and influenced by green and black, fresher greens, a focus on red-based blues, luxurious and romantic purples, the comforting force of gray and the re-emergence of tonal beiges.

Farrow & Ball’s color experts have defined four key looks for 2010–“Industrial,” “Aquatic,” “Urban Decay” and “Glitz & Glamour.”

Industrial signals a strong but fragile fusion of color, inspired by industrial architecture’s mix of modernity and tradition. Look for an urban palette of muted tones that mimic materials such as stone, clay, chalk and brick, with Farrow & Ball paint color names that include Down Pipe and Setting Plaster.

Quite the opposite of Industrial, Aquatic is a soft, watery palette defined by the elements, with subtle colors starkly contrasted by inky blues and combined with the reflective qualities of light, glass and mirrors. Farrow & Ball paint colors include Pavilion Blue and Blue Ground.

Urban Decay is bold and graphic, influenced by the global economic meltdown and urban edginess. Look for Farrow & Ball paint colors with names such as Pitch Black and Arsenic.

Glitz & Glamour is a decadent look that celebrates excess, wealth and indulgence–a fantasy, in other words. Rich and opulent shades rule this look, along with shimmering metallics. Brinjal, Pitch Blue and Porphyry Pink are key Farrow & Ball colors here.

A desire to get back to basics and to simplify were key influences identified in Sherwin-Williams’ “Colormix Two-Thousand-Ten” trend report. “We haven’t lost our individuality,” says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, in the recent issue of the company’s Stir magazine. “Our thirst for simplicity is simply playing out in individualized ways.”

Sherwin-Williams has also identified several key trends, including those they call “Simplified,” “Refreshed” and “Treasured.”

With Simplified, less is certainly the new more, but it’s artful, not austere. Well-tailored lines, sheer materials and integrity are hallmarks, with design influences that range from Mid-Century Modern to Scandinavian. Sherwin-Williams colors in this trend group include Serious Gray and Enigma.

Refreshed recalls tropical blooms, sunny days, playful explorations and vacations. Its elements encompass nature-inspired motifs, floral patterns and unexpected color combinations. Look for Sherwin-Williams colors such as Animated Coral and Pickle.

Treasured includes concepts such as flea-market finds, artisan-made pieces, heirlooms and the beauty of natural aging. Think about weathered and bleached woods, vintage patinas and even loose threads for this trend group, with Sherwin-Williams colors such as Smoky Blue and Sequin.

Benjamin Moore, which does its color predictions some 18 months in advance, has compiled its “Color Pulse 2011,” a trend report for architects and interior designers. An overriding theme for 2011? Finding and maintaining balance. “Balance is about being rooted and grounded,” says Doty Horn, Benjamin Moore’s director of color and design, and a “Color Pulse 2011” author. “The emerging color palette reads more organic than ever before. We’re looking at a gradual progression from the gray scale of the past few years to the browns and earthier tones, warm neutrals and mineral hues. Look for hay-like coloring, light beiges, camels and terra cottas, but offset and exquisitely balanced by splashes of brights.”

Benjamin Moore has identified four distinct influences that help define the balance trend–”The Farm,” “Order,” “Escape” and “Tribe.”

The Farm acknowledges a shift back to basics and primal roots, a society in which farmers are the social elite, “locally grown” reigns and buildings are topped with green roofs. Look for gingham checks, plaids, hopsack and burlap, and Benjamin Moore paint color names such as Grassy Fields and Warm Brownie.

After a decade of chaos, there’s a craving for Order, a trend that emphasizes symmetry and structure. Look for studs, stitching, geometrics and stripes, and Benjamin Moore paint colors such as Twilight Blue and Utah Sky.

Escape implies journeys into new territories, dreams, fantasies and other escape hatches. Sheer textiles, glycerine finishes, pearls and transparent materials predominate, with Benjamin Moore colors following suit, such as Lavender Secret and Pearlescent White.

Tribe sheds light on the inclination to become a tight-knit world of ethnic, social and cultural beings, in which the exotic and foreign is now familiar. Look for textiles featuring animal patterns, embroidery and handwork, and Benjamin Moore paint colors of Brazilian Blue and Flame.

Rather than doing a paint color forecast, Kelly-Moore Paint Company has launched a paint color palette that’s specific to six Western architectural styles spanning 110 years. The Historic Lifestyles of the West palette features historically accurate and modern regional color adaptations for Victorian, English Revival, Spanish Revival, Arts & Crafts, Jazz Age and Retro styles. Kelly-Moore’s color stylist Mary Lawlor worked with architectural historian Robert Schweitzer to develop and name the palette, which includes 106 interior and exterior colors, bearing names such as Albert Green, Buckingham Palace, Coronado Moss, Norman Shaw Goldspar, Saxophone Gold and Drive-In Cherry.